The idea is being mooted to save vast tracts of land from annual floods, besides diverting waters to parched regions. However, experts question the assumption of surplus water in any basin. Instead of grandiose schemes, simple methods to conserve every drop may help solve the problem.

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The idea of inter-linking Indian rivers is nothing new. Originally mooted by Sir Arthur Cotton during the days of the British Raj, to transfer excess water from perennial Himalayan rivers to the rain-fed peninsular rivers , the scheme was revisited by Dr K L Rao, the then minister for power and irrigation in the cabinet of Indira Gandhi, in 1972 (Mehta, 2013). Cotton’s prime concern was for an inland navigational network, while Rao’s was for irrigation and power (Shiva and...